“Weight Loss Miracle Drug” Semaglutide Faces Misuse in China, Leading to Emergency Hospitalizations Due to Dehydration
Disillusionment
The dream woven by the “miracle drug” had a day of shattering.
After the second injection of semaglutide, Du Xiaoyue’s weight loss slowed down, and by the third injection, the numbers stopped changing and even started to rise.
She panicked, first increasing the dose from 0.25 to 0.5, which led to more frequent nausea and vomiting, but her weight remained the same. She saw on Xiaohongshu that changing the needle might make it effective again, but it didn’t work. She felt like a patient trying every possible remedy, but almost all were ineffective. She feared returning to her previous state, the mere thought of ineffective medication and unchanging numbers brought her constant anxiety.
Song Zihao also gained weight again half a year after stopping the medication. While on the drug, he had no appetite, ate very little, and had no energy for exercise. After stopping, his appetite returned immediately, but he still had no time or energy for exercise. He noticed his stomach was the first to bulge, followed by his waist and back, no longer able to clearly feel his ribs. Spring was approaching, and he thought, should he buy a few more injections? Soon, he was frightened by this thought, as if semaglutide was addictive, “It feels like continuous injections are needed to maintain the figure, and once stopped, you’ll return to your previous state.”
Zhao Mingli explained, “Whether it’s medication or surgery, diet and exercise management are the foundation of weight loss. Some people use medication but neglect diet and exercise, resulting in poor outcomes.” Even if someone truly loses 100 pounds, it’s essential to recognize, “They must have also made efforts in diet and exercise.”
There is no real “miracle drug” in the world. On the day semaglutide “fails,” the smoothed-over life will easily wrinkle again.
This is closely related to the environment we live in—our food is changing. In the food industry, high-fat, high-salt, high-sugar foods are increasingly common, and technologically altered foods are more delicious. We can enjoy seedless watermelons and sweeter grapes, but they also make it easier to gain weight.
Our living scenarios are also changing. We are busy producing work value, lacking time for entertainment and exercise; cities are planned and used most efficiently, reducing public spaces; delivery services further reduce our range of movement; cramped living conditions and work pressure make eating heavy-flavored food an addictive way to relieve stress.
Obesity is becoming a social and global issue. Since the end of World War II, the global obesity rate has been rising, first in developed countries. Today, nearly one-third of Americans are obese. But as early as 2017, China’s obese population surpassed that of the United States. According to the “Report on Nutrition and Chronic Diseases of Chinese Residents (2020),” the obesity rate among Chinese adults reached 16.4%, with an overweight rate of 34.3%—the latter being the main force behind the misuse of semaglutide.
Zhao Mingli has spent a lot of time and effort on public education about weight loss and treating obesity because he has seen the vast demand and people’s suffering. He hopes more people can lose weight scientifically. Especially those misusing semaglutide, “They need to use it more systematically under the guidance of a doctor, rather than blindly putting themselves at risk.”
Qualified doctors play several roles: assessing whether patients have indications for medication; conducting some tests to determine if there are contraindications for medication; informing about potential adverse reactions; establishing contact with the doctor, so in case of discomfort, the doctor can judge the severity, whether to extend the medication interval, reduce the dosage, stop the medication, or take emergency measures.
However, the number of people misusing semaglutide seems to be increasing.
As early as June last year, according to a report by the “Daily Economic News,” some diabetes patients or their families mentioned that semaglutide formulations were out of stock or in short supply in hospitals. They had to give up medical insurance prices, seek high-priced purchases from agents or e-commerce platforms, facing unstable supplies and quality uncertainties. To cope with shortages, some public medical institutions tightened the use of semaglutide, such as limiting prescription rights to doctors outside the endocrinology department and only allowing inpatient diabetics to be prescribed semaglutide after review.